She turns heads every time she appears on the red carpet or at global events. Whether it was the custom Thom Browne with an MIT-designed robotic dog Vector for the 2025 Met Gala, Iris van Herpen’s moving butterfly-winged gown for the 2024 Met Gala, or the effortless elegance in a Georges Hobeika gown for Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos’ wedding, techpreneur and couture collector Mona Patel has slayed them all. A sensation in contemporary fashion, each of her looks is a reflection of how aesthetics and technology can happily coexist. In this exclusive chat with Mona, we discuss how tech and fashion complement each other, the evolution of her personal style, whether she would start her own label, and more.
Excerpts:
Tell us about your first big ‘aha’ moment when you realised tech could disrupt fashion?
I don’t think tech disrupts fashion—it amplifies it. There are two kinds of AI in my world: artificial intelligence and aesthetic intelligence. Without aesthetic intelligence in fashion, none of the tech matters. You can’t just plug a chip into a garment and call it innovation.
My first true ‘aha’ moment was actually at the Met Gala. Nick Knight had an exhibition, and I got a personal tour from Andrew Bolton, the curator of the Costume Institute. It was the first time they incorporated multisensory elements into the curation—things you could hear, smell, feel. I walked out thinking, “Wait, why don’t my clothes do that?”
When I started working with Iris van Herpen, I was already exploring how to embed technology into couture in a way that felt seamless and impactful. Not performative, not ‘wearable tech’ for the sake of it. But something where the tech added to the story of the garment. Fashion already carries meaning, memory, and emotion. Tech just lets us dial that up, give it new dimensions.
How do you see virtual fashion and digital clothing impacting real-world fashion businesses?
For me, fashion is tangible, personal, emotional, and a physical archive of memory, design, and self-expression. Everything I own has been mindfully collected. Nothing in my closet has ever made it to a landfill. I joke that I’m a hoarder, but an intentional one. So I’m not the target for NFT fashion or Roblox avatars. But I still see the power of digital clothing. For designers, it’s an incredible playground to experiment— test silhouettes in 3D, iterate quickly, and refine ideas before anything physical is made. For brands, virtual try-ons can reduce returns. For consumers, it can help you explore identity without waste. I think where it gets really interesting is when you treat the digital as a first draft of the physical. That actually supports slower fashion. That’s intentional consumption. Digital can enhance discovery, slow down overproduction, and open new creative doors.
Are there particular tech solutions you see as gamechangers for reducing fashion waste?
3D printing is not entirely waste-free. People think it’s the magical solution, but there’s plastic involved with massive energy consumption. But it helps you prototype faster and smarter. You don’t need to waste ten different samples or man-hours redoing things. You can iterate quickly, visualise what a garment will be before it’s cut. So, in that sense, it conserves resources. I always say, additive manufacturing isn’t subtractive— it’s iterative. It’s not solving the waste problem entirely, but it’s making the process more intelligent. And if you combine that with AI that forecasts demand or smart supply chains, you can start to chip away at the core issue. But let’s not pretend we’re there yet. It’s a start.
What’s one bold prediction you have for the future of fashion technology?
The biggest shift I see coming is how AI will radically accelerate creativity. Not replace it—amplify it.
I’ve seen this firsthand. For my 2025 Met Gala look, we had just seven weeks. Normally, it would take me three just to land on a concept. But with AI-generated sketches, I could visualise options instantly, narrow in on direction, and move straight into production. It saved weeks of time— without compromising on creativity.
Who are your biggest influences in tech and fashion?
In fashion, it’s Alexander McQueen and Iris van Herpen. On the tech side, Sam Altman’s mind works in generational leaps. Elon Musk has audacity, whether you agree with him or not. And I recently had the chance to connect with Sriram Krishnan—he makes AI feel inevitable and a little bit transcendent. What I admire most are people who make the complex feel human.
How has your personal style evolved?
As a kid, I didn’t gravitate towards traditional feminine fashion. I was pulling out double-breasted blazers, suspenders—things that felt powerful. I didn’t know the word “androgyny” yet, but that’s what it was. After discovering McQueen, I started embracing femininity— not in place of power, but alongside it. My style became more intentional: sharper tailoring, richer textures, even tech integrated details—always grounded in that menswear inspired utility and consistency I’ve loved from the start. And I’ve never worked with a stylist—except one time, with Law Roach, for the 2024 Met Gala. Otherwise, everything I wear comes from a place of conviction, not convention. I’m a couture collector. I approach fashion the same way I build companies: with curiosity, collaboration, and obsession. Every look is a conversation—with designers, engineers, tailors, artists. What you see on the red carpet isn’t just an outfit— it’s a collective genius incarnate. Fashion, for me, is where art, architecture, and movement collide.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received as a female entrepreneur in tech?
People will give you a lot of advice. Most of it is well-meaning. But unless they’ve walked in your shoes, it’s often too macro to apply. I read a lot, I pull principles from founders I admire, but ultimately, the voice I listen to most is my own because no one else is building my vision.
How does intuition of women influence data-backed decisions?
Intuition isn’t the opposite of data—it’s the compass that guides which questions are worth asking. At Harvard Business School, my professor Linda Hill used to say: be data informed, not data-driven. That’s stuck with me. If you’re only driven by data, you risk losing the human component. Data is a guide not the decision-maker. The last call is still yours.
How do you want your work to impact the next generation of women entrepreneurs?
I want them to feel unafraid of contradiction. Vanity isn’t weakness. It doesn’t diminish your intelligence. One of the biggest struggles for me early on was feeling like I had to pick a lane. But I’ve learned that the real power comes from designing at the intersection. I also want women to take more risks. We’re often taught to be cautious. But my father drilled into me early: take the risk—just hedge your downside. High risk, high reward. That’s what I live by. My hope is that the next generation doesn’t waste time debating who they’re allowed to be. I want them to go straight to building what the world needs—in their own voice.
Looking back, what would you tell your younger self?
Aesthetically, I’d say: I rocked it. I was out there with a baby girl-moustache and a unibrow. I had a powerful mindset and no clue how iconic I looked. Professionally, I’d tell myself to take more risks—and to start earlier. That would have saved me some of the overthinking. But more than anything, your difference is not something to overcome. It’s something to offer.
Do you think representation of South Asian women has gotten better since you started out?
Over the 25 years, we’ve come a long way in being seen. We now need to go beyond representation to ownership. I want to see more South Asian women, across all walks of the Indian society controlling the budgets, owning the IP, greenlighting the stories; not just appearing in culture, but shaping it. We have to think about legacy here. How are we using the opportunities we’ve earned to make the world better than we found it?
Which Indian designers would you like to work with in future?
Rahul Mishra—his pieces feel like poetry woven into fabric. Tarun Tahiliani’s work dances between colour, craft, and memory in such a modern way. I wore a Amit Aggarwal one-of-a-kind piece for a Met after-party. And of course Manish Malhotra.
Would you launch a label in the future?
If I ever did, it wouldn’t be a label—it would be a platform. A space where designers, artists, and engineers collaborate. But I wouldn’t do it just to do it. Only if the world needs it.
Which is the most cherished piece of fashion heirloom in your wardrobe?